Culture shock #1

Culture shock is a term people living or traveling abroad understand. There are different types of culture shock but for now I will outline the reason I have been feeling the shocks quite violently these days.

There are small daily differences you notice almost immediately once you get to Togo. These things may be quite small and insignificant and can provide interesting stories and amusement when swapped with friends. 

TSSSSSSSSSS! To get someone's attention you hiss at them. Full out spit flying, loud cat like hisses. Want the attention of the waiter in a retaurant? Waving your hands won't work neither will coughing a loud ahem but if you hiss they'll be there.

Want to get public transportation? Make sure you hiss loudly because flapping your arms (or politely raising your hand) won't get you anywhere.

If someone is trying to get your attention they may also make a smooching sounds. And no it is not just men doing this to women, men do this to men too.

For you, special price. Haggling is something that is expected. It is not rude. But people here jack up prices ridiculously high if you are white.

For example a few weekends ago D and I wanted to take a moto from one part of town to our home. The motorcyclist insisted the correct price to pay was 4000 for each of us (roughly $8 us dollars). Having made this journey many times, we know the trip should only cost 600 each at most ($1.20) but the price increased for us because we have white skin.

A street vendor at sunset in Grand Popo, Benin.


Optimistic price hikes are often directly related to the largest bill (10,000 cfa) in Togolese currency, which means that all yovo's (white people) must be able to pull them from our noses. How much is this shirt? 10,000 cfa. And a ride to the market down the street? 10,000 cfa. Riiiight. When the bartering starts there, it's usually not worth even trying to haggle. Just walk away and find someone who isn't shooting for the moon.

I can go to the main market and the common 'best price' I can get for 1 pineapple is probably around 1000 cfa. Our house help Rosalie can go and can get 1 pineapple, 5 medium oranges, 2 large onions, 6 medium tomatoes, 2 field cucumbers and 6 bananas all for roughly the same price.

Ne pas uriner ici! Then there's the bathroom thing. Public washrooms exist everywhere. What is classified as a public washroom? The ditch, a wall, the side of the road, a tree, a bush, a swamp, a mud puddle, a rock. You get the picture. So many people do their business in public.

Now I know sometimes when you gotta go you gotta go. But one expects that with kids but grown men and women are merrily participating. This is also one of the reasons you are warned to keep your shoes on at the beach. Surprise!